“When the angels had left them and returned to Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph and the baby who was lying in the manger.” Luke 2:15-16 ESV
Before we dive in, grab your Bible and read Luke 2:8-20. Better yet, if you have time, read all of Luke chapter 2. It’s about the birth of our Savior, Jesus.
Lessons from the Shepherds:
The shepherds teach us lessons through Luke 2:8-20 that pertain to faith, endurance, and running to Jesus.
Faith
When the angels approached them, they were in the fields keeping watch over their flock (2:8-9). The angels reported good news to them, and by faith, they believed. They had faith in who the angels were, the news that they shared and that the angels were sent by the Lord.
After the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds didn’t hesitate but to respond and go straight to Bethlehem to see what had happened, which the Lord has made known to them (Luke 2:15).
They simply obeyed.
Endurance
The shepherds were in the same region as Bethlehem (2:8) but out in the fields, which I assume didn’t have highways or roads to get to the manger easily. To read more about the geography of the land of Bethlehem at Jesus’s birth, go here.
However, I believe for the shepherds to get to the manager, they had to endure rugged terrain at night, distance, and keep their minds focused on getting to Christ. They had to get through whatever the route brought in order to get to the Savior.
Running to Jesus:
I love that the text says “They hurried.” When the angels approached the shepherds, they were watching their flock, but they dropped what they were doing and hurried to get to Christ. Their mind was focused on meeting Jesus! They went hurriedly. Other translations of Luke 2:16 use the words “went,” “came with haste,” and “went in a hurry,” the point being, that they dropped what they were doing and went straight to see Jesus.
I like to think that they “ran” to Jesus.
Running to Jesus:
I love that the text says “They hurried.” When the angels approached the shepherds, they were watching their flock, but they dropped what they were doing and hurried to get to Christ. Their mind was focused on meeting Jesus! They went hurriedly. Other translations of Luke 2:16 use the words “went,” “came with haste,” and “went in a hurry,” the point being, that they dropped what they were doing and went straight to see Jesus.
I like to think that they “ran” to Jesus.
Praising God:
After meeting Jesus, “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told,” (Luke 2:20) What a beautiful gift the Lord gave them of seeing Jesus face-to-face. They gave God the glory and praise.
Their faith is what led them to the incredible gift that was in the manager.
May that same faith that the shepherds exemplify guide you in every stride you take walking hand-in-hand with Christ.
Prayer:
Thank you, Lord, for the lessons the shepherds teach us. May we always run to you, no matter what comes our way. May we be obedient to your leading and just simply follow YOUR WILL for us. Thank you for the gift of your Son, our Savior. We love you, Lord, Amen
And if you haven’t given your life to Jesus yet and would like to know more about the Gospel, email me. I would be happy to share more of Jesus with you!
Spiritual Workout:
Journal about these three questions:
- How often do you simply obey the Lord when He calls you into action?
- How many runs have you done that consisted of overcoming obstacles? This could be during training cycles, races, or just everyday running.
- How often do you run straight to Jesus? When life is hard, do you run straight to Jesus? When life is good, do you run straight to Jesus to give praise? After a race, do you run straight to Jesus to tell Him thank you for an able body?
